If you are looking to create a successful cold calling or telephone campaign then it’s important to establish that you are calling the right set of people first as this will give you a much better chance of success. You need to know who is buying and selling right now and often the best way of identifying this may be through previous customer referrals.
Sometimes creating a courtesy call to your old referrals can be a good way to re-establish the connection and you can then lead into the questions as to whether they know anyone else who is looking to buy or sell currently. You can also remind them that you are still available if they are looking to move again or to perhaps buy an additional property.
Besides utilizing those previous clients, don’t forget to use your network of friends and of course family to check out their plans too. If you don’t ask, you don’t get and so don’t worry about using your contacts to generate new sales potentials.
Having insider knowledge of your local area is useful as well because if you know of people who have been hit by job losses through the recession, you can call them (sympathetically) to offer your services. You have to be careful in these types of circumstances however because emotions are likely to be raw.
Once you have your list of people to call, you need to create a script that will offer you the best potential in terms of rapport and sales. Make sure you do this prior to calling anybody even if you are ultra confident when selling. Having a script to guide you can be a great support if you get embroiled in a difficult call. Knowing the direction of your call and having a list of benefits is important. You need to know your content inside and out and make sure you are mentally alert when taking on this role because you need to stay one step ahead of the game. Scripting a call may lessen that fluidic approach but it adds a sense of consistency and this can provide better results.
Mistakes over the phone can be really costly and so, when writing your script, make sure that every word counts and that you sound polished and professional. Once on the call, find out who the decision maker is within the family. There is no point breaking into your sales spiel only to find out you are talking to the son who has come back home on his University break. In a family, everyone is important so don’t dismiss the importance of getting the wife on side for example. She will have input andyou can build rapport with her in addition to speaking to the overall decision maker.
By following this process where possible you are simply fine tuning a system that works and helping it to run smoothly should your cold calling be successful. Remember to interact successfully with someone if you are talking to them in their own home and in their own time, you need to show them the benefits of talking to you. These benefits are part of your script and should be able to be clarified instinctively without you having to rummage through your script if the conversation has skipped ahead. Never be pushy with a potential new client, make sure that they have the time to talk to you and if not, find out when would be a good time. If you confirm a call, always, always, follow it up.
Clarify your unique selling position. The client will want to know why you instead of another real estate agent. Make sure you have a strong and compelling argument that counteracts any negatives. Providing you have perceived a need in your customer, then your unique selling position should consolidate your potential as the real estate agent to represent them. To create a powerful and yet natural sounding sales script, you need to invest some time in it long before making that first call as it must sound honest, polished and professional. Essentially, short cuts in your script creation will not land you any big real estate clients.